Besa-Besën (Pledge for a Pledge) was an organization of Albanian emigrants in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. The society was founded on January 6, 1907, in Boston. The elected president was

Fan Noli Theofan Stilian Noli, known as Fan Noli (6 January 1882 – 13 March 1965), was an Albanian Americans, Albanian-American writer, scholar, diplomat, politician, historian, orator, bishop, and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Albania ...

, vice-president Goni Katundi, treasurer Angelo Stefenson, and secretary Nini Fani Katundi. It had an elderly council as advisory body. The society gave a contribute in establishment of the

Albanian Orthodox Church The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania (), commonly known as the Albanian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Albania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It declared its autocephaly in 1922 through its Congress of 1922, a ...

in March 1908, where Fan Noli was ordained priest by Platon, the Russian Mitropolite of New York. The same month Noli gave the first sermon in Albanian in Knights of Honor Hall of Boston. The church of Saint George was the first Albanian American church, and the first Albanian Orthodox church in overall. Meanwhile,

Kristo Kirka Kristo Kirka (17 January 1883 – 28 April 1955) was an Albanian patriot, diplomat, politician and activist. He is one of the most contributing figures of the Albanian national cause. Early life Kirka was born on 17 January 1883 in Korçë, Ottom ...

became President of the society. The society contributed also in the spread of Albanian education in

Ottoman Albania Ottoman Albania was a period in History of Albania, Albanian history within the Ottoman Empire, from the Ottoman conquest in the late 15th century to the Albanian Declaration of Independence, Albanian declaration of Independence and official s ...

, i.e. the Normal School of Elbasan, the first institution for higher education in

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

. On February 15, 1909, the society started the publication of '' Dielli'', which is still published today, being one of the oldest Albanian-language newspapers. Its manager was Fan Noli, until October 22 when Faik Konitza came and took over. On April 28, 1912, Besa-Besën together with other Albanian-American organizations (''Flamuri i Krujes'', ''Keshilli Kombetar'', ''Dallandyshja'', and other smaller organizations) merged into

Vatra, the Pan-Albanian Federation of America Vatra (') is an association of Albanian Americans, created in 1912, that has historically protected the rights of the Albanians in the United States, as well as has endeavored in lobbying with the United States Congress about the rights of the Alb ...

. ''Dielli'' was carried over as a Vatra publication, and Kristo Kirka was elected as manager.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Besa-Besen Albanian-American culture in Massachusetts Albanian-American history 1907 establishments in Massachusetts European-American organizations Organizations established in 1907 Organizations disestablished in 1912